1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery connection apparatus of a portable computer system, and in particular to a secondary smart battery connection apparatus of a portable computer and a connection method thereof which are capable of connecting a secondary smart battery to a primary smart battery without using any additional equipment or changing the structure of a portable computer system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As used herein, the terms xe2x80x9cprimaryxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cprimary smart batteryxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9csecondaryxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9csecondary smart batteryxe2x80x9d refer to batteries intended for use with portable battery-powered devices such as portable computer systems, often called xe2x80x9cnotebookxe2x80x9d computers, which conform with the industry specifications for so-called xe2x80x9csmart batteriesxe2x80x9d, as specified in the following specifications, which are incorporated herein by reference made thereto:
xe2x80x9cSmart Battery System (SBS), Specificationsxe2x80x9d, collectively comprised of:
xe2x80x9cSmart Battery Data Specificationsxe2x80x9d, Revision 1.1. SBS-Implementers Forum, December 1998;
xe2x80x9cSmart Battery Charger Specificationxe2x80x9d, Revision 1.1, SBS-Implementers Forum December 1998;
xe2x80x9cSmart Battery System Manager Specificationxe2x80x9d, Revision 1.1, SBS-Implementers Forum, December 1998;
xe2x80x9cSystem Management Bus Specificationxe2x80x9d, Revision 1.0, SBS-Implementers Forum, December 1998; and
xe2x80x9cSystem Management Bus BIOS Interface Specificationxe2x80x9d, Revision 1.0, Feb. 15, 1995.
The above-listed specifications are available on the Internet via http://www.sbs-forum.org/specs/index.html and http://www.smbus.org/specs/.
Basically, the primary/secondary designation refers to smart batteries which contain internal discharge control mechanisms (e.g. blocking diodes and/or FET switches) to allow multiple batteries to be connected in parallel, and which of the batteries in a multiple battery is acting as a primary or secondary battery. This is not to be confused with the use of xe2x80x9cprimaryxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9csecondaryxe2x80x9d in reference to non-rechargeable and rechargeable type batteries, respectively, in that the smart batteries described herein are rechargeable type batteries.
In general, in supplying power to a portable computer system, a portable computer system is supplied with DC power by an AC adapter receiving AC power from an external power source, or is supplied power from a main primary smart battery without having any power supplied externally or is supplied power from the main primary smart battery and a secondary smart battery in case of continuous use for a long time.
In addition, in a signal control unit for supplying power to the portable computer system, a battery control microcomputer reads state information of a primary smart battery according to its discharge state and notifies it to a user through a System Management BUS (SM BUS) (i.e., the SM BUS is capable of transmitting optimum data by being constructed with a clock (SCL) and date (SDA), the user judges whether it is necessary to exchange the primary smart battery for a secondary smart battery and continues the operation of the system in accordance with the state information of the primary smart battery of the system. Accordingly, the user is less sensitive to a necessity of an adapter using AC power in use of the portable computer system at away from a source of AC power.
FIG. 1 illustrates changing a smart battery by a so-called xe2x80x9chot pluggingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chot swappingxe2x80x9d method in accordance with the prior art. As depicted in FIG. 1, a system can be operated by removing a presently installed storage module (i.e., a detachable floppy disc drive or a CD-ROM drive, etc.) from a portable computer system and inserting a secondary smart battery into the system by the conventional hot plugging method.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a method for using a secondary smart battery in the conventional portable computer system. As depicted in FIG. 2, in a portable computer system being supplied power from a primary or a secondary smart battery, the portable computer system includes a smart battery selecting unit 5 selecting a primary smart battery 3 or a secondary smart battery 4 in the system, a system power supplying unit 1 being supplied power from the primary smart battery 3 selected by the smart battery selecting unit 5 and outputting power for operating the system, a System Management BUS (SM BUS) host 2 checking an operation state or operation information of the smart batteries 3, 4 through the SM BUS and requesting a charging of the smart batteries 3, 4, an AC/DC adapter 6 being supplied AC power from a power source and outputting DC power to the system, and a charger unit 7 being supplied DC power from the AC/DC adapter 6 and supplying charging power to the secondary smart battery.
The operation for supplying power to the conventional portable computer system will now be described.
First, when the portable computer system is being powered by the primary smart battery 3, in order to use the secondary smart battery 4 in the portable computer system, the secondary smart battery 4 is inserted into the portable computer system after removing a storage module (not shown) from the portable computer or a secondary bay module (not shown) is installed in the portable computer system and the secondary smart battery 4 is connected to the secondary bay module 4.
After that, when a remaining capacity of the primary smart battery 3 installed in the portable computer system reaches the limit and a rated voltage is not outputted from it, the smart battery selecting unit 5 switches a power source connection from the primary smart battery 3 used as a power supplier in the portable computer system to the secondary smart battery 4 in order for the secondary smart battery 4 to supply power to the portable computer system.
Herein, when the user wants to charge the primary smart battery 3 while the portable computer system is being powered by the secondary smart battery 4 in accordance with the switching operation of the smart battery selecting unit 5, the charger unit 7 of the portable computer system is supplied DC power from the AC/DC adapter 6 and charges the primary smart battery 3. Similarly, when the portable computer system is being by the primary smart battery 3, the charger unit 7 of the portable computer system charges the secondary smart battery 4 after a battery selection operation of the smart battery selecting unit 5.
However, in the secondary battery connection apparatus of the portable computer system in accordance with the prior art, when the user directly changes a battery, a powering-off and re-booting of the portable computer system has to be performed after ending a present system operation, when a secondary smart battery is to be used by the hot plugging method in operation of the system, and a storage module has to be removed in order to insert the secondary smart battery. Accordingly, if the user wishes to continue using the storage module, there is a limitation in use. And, when the secondary smart battery is connected to the portable computer system through a docking station (i.e., an apparatus for indirectly combining the storage module with the portable computer system when the storage module can not be directly combined with the portable computer system due to a thin thickness of the portable computer system) or a port replicator, the user has to additionally buy a second bay module such as the docking station or the port replicator and carry it always in use of the portable computer system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a secondary battery connection apparatus for a portable computer system and a connection method thereof which are capable of not requiring a change in functions of a presently operating portable computer system when installing a secondary smart battery and not causing any inconveniences to users such as requiring a storage module change, by directly connecting a secondary smart battery to a primary smart battery.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a secondary battery connection apparatus for a portable computer system and a connection method thereof which are capable of not requiring a change in functions of a presently operating portable computer system and facilitating using the portable computer system without requiring buying and carrying additional optional equipment such as a docking station or a port replicator, etc., by directly combining a secondary smart battery with an exterior connector of a primary smart battery.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for supplying power inside a system by providing a smart battery inside an AC/DC adapter.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, there is provided a secondary battery connection apparatus of a portable computer system including a primary smart battery and a secondary smart battery separately having a first connector and a second connector installed at its exterior for connecting the secondary smart battery to the primary smart battery, a smart battery selecting unit selecting the primary smart battery or the secondary smart battery and controlling the selected battery so as to supply power to a portable computer system, a system power supplying unit being supplied the power selected by the smart battery selecting unit and supplying power appropriate for operating the system, a System Management BUS (SM BUS) host checking operation states or operation information of both smart batteries and requesting a charge of each smart battery, an AC/DC adapter being supplied AC power from a power source and outputting DC power, and a charging unit being supplied the DC power from the AC/DC adapter and supplying power to the primary smart battery or the secondary smart battery.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, there is provided a second battery connection method of a portable computer system including connecting a primary smart battery to a secondary smart battery with a connector, checking whether there is the secondary smart battery according to a discharge state of the primary smart battery, selecting the primary or secondary smart battery connected with the connector and supplying power of the selected smart battery to each device of a system, checking an operation state or operation information of the smart batteries through a System Management BUS (SM BUS), requesting charge of the smart batteries by sensing an AC/DC adapter, and communicating periodically with the primary or secondary smart battery through the SM BUS by being supplied power from the AD/DC adapter and supplying power to the primary or secondary smart battery by corresponding to the information provided from them.
In order to achieve above-mentioned objects, in an AC/DC adapter including a rechargable smart battery, an AC/DC adapter in accordance with the present invention includes a smart battery supplying power to a portable computer system or supplying power to an inward battery of the portable computer system in order to charge it, an AC/DC converter being inputted AC power from a power source and outputting DC power appropriate for operating the portable computer system, and a charging circuit unit being inputted the DC power from the AC/DC converter and supplying power to the smart battery.